Over a Dozen Wildfires Rage Across Northern California, Prompting State of Emergency

California Governor Jerry Brown declared on Monday a state of emergency after at least 14 fires raged across Northern California from Sunday night through Monday morning, destroying at least 1,500 homes and structures.

The firestorm—one of the worst in California history—burned tens of thousands of acres and forced many residents to flee their homes in the middle of the night. Schools were closed on Monday throughout the Napa and Sonoma valleys, the Los Angeles Timesreports, and at least two hospitals in Santa Rosa had to be evacuated. The status of the small Santa Rosa zoo is currently unknown; staff fled the facility on Sunday night with several birds and a tortoise.

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While there have been no reports of deaths, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told the Times there have been reports of injuries and missing persons.

Kate Wheeling is a staff writer at Pacific Standard, where she specializes in criminal justice and the environment. She joined Pacific Standard after internships at the American Geophysical Union and Yale Medicine.